A rude awakening
It was a rude awakening. I had just left sunny and warm Florida after spending 4 days seeing opera and visiting friends, to arrive again in Newark to yet another snow storm. Irony: having to shovel snow with a sun burn.
I was glad to be home of course, but it was a nice 4 days. Four operas in three days and one day reserved for the beach. It was my yearly trip to the Sarasota Opera. I have special affection for this company, partly because it was my operatic home for the 5 busiest years of my singing career, partly because of the great friendships that I formed and because they just do such good opera.
I won't really review their performances, I'm too biased for that. But I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the four performances I saw there. Stiffelio is a very good opera and I think would have a much higher profile had Verdi not torn it up to make Aroldo and hidden the pieces from posterity. Lakmé on the other hand deserves its marginal place in the repertoire despite the presence of a few good tunes. I think the character of Gerard wins the prize as the most spineless, indecisive tenor lead in opera (a tough competition to win) which, as a tenor, will turn me off any opera immediately. Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni belongs somewhere in that competition, but luckily we pay little attention to him as to the glorious music by Mozart, the rakish Don and the very interesting and well-characterized female characters. And finally seeing Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci again reminded me of the fondness that I have for these pieces. It may be un-PC to say so, but I love these operas and even today, Pagliacci packs a good punch and causes shivers down my spine.
A nice weekend of sun and music, with good friends in a place that holds many good memories for me. And now, in multiple layers of sweaters and coats, back to the snow.
I was glad to be home of course, but it was a nice 4 days. Four operas in three days and one day reserved for the beach. It was my yearly trip to the Sarasota Opera. I have special affection for this company, partly because it was my operatic home for the 5 busiest years of my singing career, partly because of the great friendships that I formed and because they just do such good opera.
I won't really review their performances, I'm too biased for that. But I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the four performances I saw there. Stiffelio is a very good opera and I think would have a much higher profile had Verdi not torn it up to make Aroldo and hidden the pieces from posterity. Lakmé on the other hand deserves its marginal place in the repertoire despite the presence of a few good tunes. I think the character of Gerard wins the prize as the most spineless, indecisive tenor lead in opera (a tough competition to win) which, as a tenor, will turn me off any opera immediately. Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni belongs somewhere in that competition, but luckily we pay little attention to him as to the glorious music by Mozart, the rakish Don and the very interesting and well-characterized female characters. And finally seeing Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci again reminded me of the fondness that I have for these pieces. It may be un-PC to say so, but I love these operas and even today, Pagliacci packs a good punch and causes shivers down my spine.
A nice weekend of sun and music, with good friends in a place that holds many good memories for me. And now, in multiple layers of sweaters and coats, back to the snow.
posted by Rich Russell at
4:23 PM
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